BGBTO Presents: An Introductory Seminar / Workshop

[C.A. in TO]

If I'm on one end of the lead...and he's 6' away on a leash....a simple heal will do to stop him.

The standard tracking lead is 20 to 30 feet. That distance teaches trackers one of the most important rules -- trust your dog. It needs to be able to range further than a standard leash.

[MikePal]

The standard tracking lead is 20 to 30 feet.

Can you imagine using a 20' lead on a tracking dog going thru thick brush...LOL....in all the years I have done this, I have never had a dog track a deer across an open area....they ALWAYS head back into the thickest meanest nasty bush once they are hit. You walk in with a dog, on a 20' lead, tracking a blood trail and 2' into the bush you'd be so tangled up the effort would be futile.

To be upfront, because we are in a MWU were dogs have always been allowed, we only use the leash on the dogs to control them until they're on the actual trail we want them to follow. Once they are on track, we rely on their instincts and set them free and then follow. It's worked to our success for over 20 yrs and our 'find' rate is probably close to 80%...

The course sounds like they aren't teaching the dogs anything, just providing the handlers some insight into how it all works and how to guide the dog to the trail you want him to follow. It's not difficult, but if you don't have a mentor to teach you, a course like this would be beneficial.

For the cost it should be interesting, so I like to hear some feedback after.

[werner.reiche]

Agree with MP that the 20 ft leash is not going to work in the thick stuff - a 5 foot tangles enough as it is.

[Bigshrimp]

In terms of the tracking leash, it is not a question of whether it will work....it is the law, and has been used very successfully for many years in the north east US where the bush is just as thick (if not thicker) than our bush. Sure it's probably not optimal, but it's mandatory. There are recommendations to use solid core rope (like climbing rope) since it snakes through the the bush and is less likely to whip around saplings etc.

The course sounds like they aren't teaching the dogs anything, just providing the handlers some insight into how it all works and how to guide the dog to the trail you want him to follow. It's not difficult, but if you don't have a mentor to teach you, a course like this would be beneficial.

I don't know of any dog training seminar where they expect to teach the dog much. The intention is to give the handler knowledge of a training process for them to go home and work toward. Also, help work through any specific training difficulty a handler may be going through with their dogs.

From what you describe, this is so much more than what you have been doing with your dogs...again this is training/handling dogs to track very old/cold lines in a very controlled and methodical manner which allows for consistent results over many very challenging tracking scenarios. Also, teaches the handler how to identify clues on how the animal has been hit by using evidence at the hit site. These two areas lead to a tracking team (dog and handler) which can be called upon when Rover wouldn't cut it.

If you're interested, here are a few sites with better information than I can provide:
http://www.unitedbloodtrackers.org/
http://deersearch.org/
http://born-to-track.com/

[C.A. in TO]

One of the nicest leads available is the Permatack. It is sold on the UBT website. I have two. I even had short walking leashes made from the stuff. Looks and feels almost like leather. Super strong - used in the horse world for tack. Wipes clean and doesn't get hung up in the bush. I've had it slide through thick thorny brambles with ease.

[werner.reiche]

I'm not so concerned with the lead getting caught on brush - my concern is that the handler has to go everywhere the dog goes - on the same side of every try and below ever branch that the dog does - or let go of the lead an catch it on the other side. My dogs go through stuff that a guy cannot walk through - most of the dirty stuff is balsam or spruce, or in cut over areas, poplar and soft maple whippy as we call it.

[MikePal]

My dogs go through stuff that a guy cannot walk through - most of the dirty stuff is balsam or spruce, or in cut over areas, poplar and soft maple whippy as we call it.

Oh don't forget the prickly ash..my personal fav....

I don't think some of these guys have ever been in 'bush' like we have here in Eastern Ont. Like you said a man cannot even walk thru it most of the time...you can't even see for more than a foot or two in front of you.. but your hound insists the deer "went that'a way"...of course, they always do...LOL..

I've had to leash a dog in the Limerick Forrest one night as a favor to another camp. I kept him leashed because it was a strange area for both of us and man it was a nightmare. The poor dog was doing his best but I could barley move thru the scrub all the while holding the lead. Just nuts.

We did eventually find the deer, the next morning, right where the dog said he was, in the swamp about 15 yds from where we stopped, but couldn't get to in the dark. Took a floating sled to get the deer out.

I should add; they would have NEVER found this deer, it's a long story, but the deer ended up no where near where the camp was looking, It was only thru the dog's tracking that it was found.

[Bigshrimp]

I should add; they would have NEVER found this deer, it's a long story, but the deer ended up no where near where the camp was looking, It was only thru the dog's tracking that it was found.

Beautiful! This is why we do this! Love it.

[Sharon]

In terms of the tracking leash, it is not a question of whether it will work....it is the law, and has been used very successfully for many years in the north east US where the bush is just as thick (if not thicker) than our bush. Sure it's probably not optimal, but it's mandatory. There are recommendations to use solid core rope (like climbing rope) since it snakes through the the bush and is less likely to whip around saplings etc.



I don't know of any dog training seminar where they expect to teach the dog much. The intention is to give the handler knowledge of a training process for them to go home and work toward. Also, help work through any specific training difficulty a handler may be going through with their dogs.

From what you describe, this is so much more than what you have been doing with your dogs...again this is training/handling dogs to track very old/cold lines in a very controlled and methodical manner which allows for consistent results over many very challenging tracking scenarios. Also, teaches the handler how to identify clues on how the animal has been hit by using evidence at the hit site. These two areas lead to a tracking team (dog and handler) which can be called upon when Rover wouldn't cut it.

If you're interested, here are a few sites with better information than I can provide:
http://www.unitedbloodtrackers.org/
http://deersearch.org/
http://born-to-track.com/

Excellent post.
I'm not into blood tracking deer, but always interested in reading about it. In the old movies , those bloodhounds always found their man- well , unless it was Paul Newman on the run.

[jweese]

Just to add to the conversation - I use a home made tracking leash, customized to allow me shorter and longer grips on the lead. It also doesn't tangle as much as one would think, 30' long.

That being said, Misty is a licensed deer hound as well - during the open season, and if running dogs is legal in the WMU - I will let her run. It can be more of a job keeping up with her, and you have to look, listen, and move through the brush pretty fast to keep up with her as well.

As previously touched on as well - tracking, from what I've learned in my short time doing it is all about trust. I didn't trust Misty the first couple times I tracked and it took quite a bit longer to find the fallen game. Now, regardless of whether or not I think she's going in the wrong direction - I always, ALWAYS, follow her. She knows what she's doing, she's proven it time and time again (11 for 11 tracks now). I know what signs to look for as well, but her nose is 1000x better than my eyesight.